Tashkent, Uzbekistan

We are in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan and home country of our trip leader, Abdu. We walked and bused all over! Today’s highlights:

A park dedicated to the Uzbek citizens who suffered political repression from the late 19th century through the Soviet era, particularly those executed during the Stalinist purges of the 1930s. It features gardens and a domed rotunda bearing the words, “May the memory of those who have fallen for freedom of their country live forever.” The words are written in English and Uzbek, not Russian, which was the dominant language during the Soviet era, and is still widely spoken today. The site was chosen because mass graves were discovered there during the construction of a TV tower.

The Center of Islamic Civilization, which opened less than two months ago. It houses a 7th century Koran, the world's oldest surviving manuscript. There was a cool light show there too and beautiful stone mosaics.

Taking the Metro (very fancy stations) to the Market, and getting fresh-from-the-oven “non bread”

The Museum of Applied Arts, with a very manageable collection of the craftwork in Uzbekistan—embroidered wall hangings, plasterwork, metalwork and more.Read more